Central Georgia Health System prepares to end contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield

Central Georgia Health System and its affiliates, including the Medical Center of Central Georgia, are preparing to end their contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - Central Georgia Health System and its affiliates, including the Medical Center of Central Georgia, are preparing to end their contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia.

The health system and the insurance company have been in talks for nine months. They came to a one year agreement last month. According to a news release from MCCG, the health system blames the insurance provider.

“While it has been our strong desire to continue our partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield in order to continue providing care for Blue Cross Blue Shield patients in our community, the lack of effort invested by Blue Cross, one of the state’s largest health insurers, toward good faith resolution has seriously jeopardized our agreement. Regrettably, unless Blue Cross Blue Shield provides an acceptable amendment, their actions have left us with no choice but to prepare to terminate our contract,” Rhonda Perry, the Chief Financial Officer for CGHA said in a statement.

According to the news release from the hospital, CGHS offered to continue substantial discounts to BCBS in “hopes of continuing the contract renewal seamlessly.”

“At this time, the proposed terms we have received from Blue Cross Blue Shield are very different from the principles to which we had agreed on April 24, putting both the hospitals and physician network in extremely unfavorable positions. While we continue to work diligently to meet the objectives of our agreement, Blue Cross Blue Shield has failed to demonstrate a commitment to resolving the remaining contract issues, “ Steve Barry, the Chief Executive Officer of Central Georgia Health Network said.

A spokesperson with Blue Cross Blue Shield tells 41NBC they are still working to reach an agreement by the May 15th deadline.

Starting this Thursday, CGHS will continue to accept Blue Cross patients, but will do so as an out of network provider.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can call CGHS' dedicated call center at (478) 633-8888 or visit www.mccg.org.